Picture Picture On The Wall...

Who's the vainest of them all?

If you've got a job with a desk, cubicle, office or any permanent individual work space, you've probably taken whatever steps towards making it your own. Depending on the strictures of your employer and the general vibe of the office this could be anything from plants, stuffed animals or in more strict environments, simply arranging your stapler, paper clip tray, etc. however you like.

Of course, there's nothing so popular as photographs. They're small, don't take up much space and are generally unobjectionable. Pets, friends and family are the most common choices. After all, there's nothing to remind you of why you spend hours slaving away in this dreary office than little Timmy's smiling face or the eternal grin of Fido who sits patiently in front of the door, waiting for your familiar foosteps.

I'm not much of one for photographs. My desk decoration consists of a plush Cthulhu (if you don't know, don't ask) and a dorky coffee mug that's obviously as much utility as ornamentation. Lisa however has a cat calendar, a print out of some picture from one of those ubiquitous office emails and two photographs pinned up next to her monitor.

The photos have been there for a while and I admit I never paid them much heed. Today however I noticed something odd. One of them is Lisa with her daughter. The other one is just of Lisa herself. That's it, no other friends or family. I'm not sure I've seen too many parents whose self to children ratio in photographs is 2:1.

Dress for Duress

One of the joys of my office is the dress code. More specifically, the general lack of one, though an overall current of professionalism was always underlying this boon. Well, at least for me. Having worked in several shirt-and-tie offices, it's nice to let my neck be caressed by the gentle fingers of air conditioning. I'm not a fan of polo shirts in my day-t0-day existence, but they're a pleasant compromise between collared shirts and tshirts. This is of course balanced by slacks or corduroys if the weather permits.

An additional advantage of this whole situation is there's nobody to tell us what we can't do. I could impose my own 'Hawaiian shirt Tuesdays' if I was so tastelessly inclined. The only thing that I have done is a sort of casual Friday, which for me simply means wearing jeans. Ironically I often balance this out by wearing a button down, but since we're essentially a service industry I like to at least carry off the more young-professional look.

Lisa however hasn't ever been too keen on following the dress code. Sure she's fine most days, but jeans and a sweatshirt on a Tuesday? Not really the attire that inspires trust from your clients. Today however she crossed the line from 'business casual' to 'lazy and horrid'. That's right. You guessed it. The terrycloth tracksuit. Complete with racing stripes down the sides and 'Fabulous' written across the chest above a faux coat of arms.